retheness

R1E1T1H4E1N1E1S1S1

noun

The character, state, or condition of being rethe; fierceness; wildness; roughness; harshness; sternness; cruelty.

OriginMiddle English rethnes ← Old English rēþnes →
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Meanings

nounretheness (uncountable)
  1. uncountableNow chiefly dialectalThe character, state, or condition of being rethe; fierceness; wildness; roughness; harshness; sternness; cruelty.

Origin

  1. Old Englishrēþnes“fierceness, rage, cruelty, severity, zeal, savageness, ferocity, harshness, storminess”
  2. Middle Englishrethnes
  3. Englishretheness

From Middle English rethnes, from Old English rēþnes (“fierceness, rage, cruelty, severity, zeal, savageness, ferocity, harshness, storminess”), equivalent to rethe + -ness. Cognate with Scots rethnas (“retheness”).

More words from Middle English, Old English

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

threenessthereness
Cite this entry
APA

retheness. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/retheness

MLA

“retheness.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/retheness. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “retheness,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/retheness.

Source: retheness on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.